Torchwood is Ready And so is Luke Smith
by Amelia827
Summary: Luke begins his new adventure working for Torchwood Three in Cardiff. But first he has to get through his goodbyes to Sarah Jane and Clyde. Pairings: Luke/Clyde, Jack/Ianto
1. Chapter 1

"Do you have everything? Clothes, books, underthings, the photos I gave you?"

"Yes, mum."

"What about your mobile?"

"Right here in my pocket, mum."

**************

As the trees and houses whirled by, Sarah Jane kept talking. She had been going on non-stop about 'things to remember,' like how to use the corner laundry — separating out whites from colors — and how to pick out ripe produce at the market. She hadn't stopped once since they had left the house. Luke tried to listen to these life lessons, knowing they would come in handy soon, but Clyde kept distracting him in the back seat with his wicked hands. They were roaming up under the back of his t-shirt to that ticklish spot in the small of his back - the one they discovered a few years ago. Luckily, Sarah Jane wasn't paying attention to her rear view mirror; she was too busy checking off her mental list of last minute parenting items.

"So I think that is all I wanted to tell you. Oh, but what about house cleaning. I know Ianto is such a perfectionist. You must be very careful to keep everything tidy. It is so nice of him to loan out his spare room to you. I know I feel much better with you staying somewhere safe — and with such a nice young man like Ianto. Even though I know you won't be there much — you will be working all the time. That Captain Harkness, from what it seems, doesn't like for his staff to have much of a personal life. But you tell him when it gets to be too much. Don't back down. Everyone needs a vacation every now and again. Seriously, Luke. Let me know if he is too rough on you and working you to the bone. I won't hesitate in driving back over here if he so much as--"

"Really, Sarah Jane," Clyde interjected, "you've been over this ten times already. I have heard you give this same speech to Jack three times, and warn Ianto, Gwen, and Mickey about how you 'are going to drive back over here.' I think Luke — and everyone else — gets it."

Luke suppressed a little giggle, not sure if it was seeing his mum get a bit embarrassed, having his boyfriend be responsible, or the fingers that were trailing along the inside of his right thigh.

"I know you are both practically grown now. But I just don't understand why you didn't choose to go to University like Maria, Luke." Sarah Jane had watched as they all left the Jackson home last weekend — Clyde, Luke, Chrissy, Alan, and Maria — to move Maria into her new place at Uni. Her heart ached a little watching them all pull out of the drive. She kept telling herself it was because Luke had decided against attending along side her. He was opting for something 'more exciting,' as he put it.

"Mum, you know it wouldn't do me any good. I already know more than everyone there. I want to go out and see the world. I want to have adventures, learn about alien technology," Luke explained once more. He glanced over to see Clyde looking out the window now. When Luke had told him about Captain Jack's job offer, Clyde hadn't spoken to him for a week. He wouldn't even respond to his text messages. But eventually he came around.

Clyde really did understand why Luke wanted to do this. And he couldn't tell him no. He just hoped with all of his heart that it wouldn't change how Luke felt about him. He didn't think it would, but there was this little piece of him that couldn't help but wonder if he could compete with the life Cardiff and Torchwood offered.

Luke squeezed Clyde's hand, bringing him back to the present. Clyde saw the worry now in Luke's eyes and squeezed back with a genuine smile. That was all it took for them.

**************

About 30 minutes later, they were pulled up into the hidden drive near Millenium Centre along side several black SUVs. Sarah Jane hesitated in the driver's seat as Luke and Clyde jumped out. They unloaded Luke's two bags of belongings and walked briskly towards the visitor's entrance when suddenly Luke stopped. He dropped his bag and went running back to the car.

"Mum. Really. You know I love you. But I have to do this," he said to Sarah Jane, who was still sitting in the car.

"I know, Luke. It is just hard. But I am coming."  
They made their way to back to Clyde, who looked rather impatient. "Let's go! I want to hang out a bit before we head back home," he urged.

All smiling, each hiding their own fears of loss, anxiety, and sadness, the three of them made their way to the entrance and pushed through the door.

To be continued . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

"Ah, you are early. We thought you might be," Ianto greeted. Let me get that bag for you, Luke." Ianto took the smaller bag from Luke and led the way into the Hub lift.

"I am fine with this big one, mate," Clyde snorted as he hefted it over his shoulder once more. Luke stayed at Ianto's side, Sarah Jane not more than half a pace behind. "Shite," Clyde thought as he watched his young lover disappear.

**************

As the heavy door rolled out of the way, they were once more greeted — this time by the Captain. "Welcome back to Torchwood, Luke. And Sarah Jane — looking as lovely as ever. It was so nice of you to bring your son to his first day of work."

Sarah Jane grimaced, not sure whether to accept the compliment or start off straight away on the caddy insult. Before she could decide Clyde bumped into her while dropping Luke's oversized bag.

"And the boyfriend," said Jack. "Did you bring Maria and K-9 to this little send-off, too?" Jack had that winning smile on his face, ensuring them all he was just joking, but Clyde wasn't having any of it.

"Did you really think I — we — would just send him off on his own? Don't think you can get rid of me — us — that easily," Clyde spouted out. Sarah Jane, for once, stood beside Clyde with full confidence, nodding in agreement.

Luke looked on with fear. This seemed inappropriate. He wasn't sure if this was making a bad first impression at his new workplace.

"Now, now. There is no reason to get upset. I was only kidding. We are always glad to have 'visitors' in the hub. Well, sometimes. But I am really glad you both came today. I want to make sure everyone is comfortable with Luke joining our little group," Jack said, trying to ease things.

Ianto moved between the standoff to diffuse the situation. "Let's all have a seat. I'll just go prepare us some tea." He pointed to the sitting area off the main hub area and allowed Sarah Jane, Clyde, and Luke to make their way over. "Sir, let's try to make this easy on them. They've had a long drive and this is a stressful situation. Sarah Jane is leaving her only son — a mere boy — and Clyde is about to embark on a long distance relationship. I am sure you aren't helping." There were some things Jack would just never understand.

**************

"So that is how Ianto here got that big bruise on his cheek!" Jack was finishing his latest alien encounter story as Ianto returned with tea for everyone. Sarah Jane's face was the color of his new red Armani shirt, and Clyde was pacing nervously.

"Damnit, when will he learn to shut up," thought Ianto.

"Here is the tea! And really, I just fell down the stairs. Jack tries to make me sound less clumsy by making up these wild stories. Right, Sir?"

"What? Oh! Yeah — well, I don't want everyone to know I am shagging — ouch — I mean that I employ such a klutz," Jack responded, finally understanding Ianto's cover-up and subsequent pinch to the neck.

Luke, having grown more aware of tension and social politeness over the years, decided to change the subject. "So where are Gwen and Mickey at? It is very quiet here today."

"Well," started Jack, "I heard that the word on the street was that I didn't give my people vacation time. Mickey's gone on a singles' cruise and Gwen is taking some time at home with her newest baby and Rhys. Did you all hear that Gwen gave birth last Spring to her second — a little girl named Tosha."

Knowing she needed to cool off, Sarah Jane decided to focus on the positive and let Jack's vacation nip slide. "Yes, I did read about that in the U.N.I.T. email digest a couple months ago. That is wonderful. It is good to hear that Torchwood has become so progressive and lenient — allowing staff to have children."

Feeling that disaster had been averted — for now — Ianto passed around the tea.

**************

Jack and Ianto were gathered around one of the larger monitors in Jack's office watching on as Luke walked his mum and boyfriend back out a couple of hours later. They wanted to make sure everything would be okay when their newest member returned on his own.

**************

"Well I guess this is it, mum," Luke almost whispered to his mom by the car.

"There is so much I want to say to you, son -- " Sarah Jane began, but was cut off by a crushing hug from her almost grown child.

"Don't. You've said it all before — all that is needed now is this." Sarah Jane couldn't stop the tear from rolling down her face. "I love you, mum. I have my mobile. You can reach me 24 hours a day. I will call you tonight once I get settled. And you know Clyde will have to check in daily. Maria has already said I have to call her every other day. I will be fine. I've been doing this for years with you."

"How did my son grow into this amazing person?" Sarah Jane asked herself silently. She felt so lucky at this moment, even though she was leaving him in such a dangerous place. Finally able to speak, she choked out, "I love you, too. Now go say goodbye to Clyde." She stepped back and slid into the car, leaving the two young men alone.

"So this is it, huh," Clyde said solemnly. Luke slowly walked towards him, not really sure how to handle the situation. His mum he knew, but this was still relatively new. His books did not prepare him for this part of their relationship.

"No. You will be here next weekend. I already cleared it with Ianto." This comment earned a smirk from Clyde. They had started planning this first weekend alone together as soon as he heard Luke was to be living with Ianto. They knew he and Jack would be all about giving them some alone time.

"I know. And I can't wait. But you know what I mean. I am really going to miss you, Luke," Clyde said, getting serious again.

"I'll miss you, too. But we will be fine. You just make sure you take care of mum. Don't let her whine about Maria too much."

"Ha. I won't. Okay. I am not going to cry. I am a man, not some silly nancy boy. Just come kiss me," he chuckled while pulling Luke close. They knew Sarah Jane was probably watching from the car, so they couldn't be over the top, but it was definitely a kiss to show all of Cardiff that these two men were in love — whether they wanted to admit it or not.

"Bye," Clyde whispered, pulling away and jumping in the car.

Luke stood there waving as the car pulled away. He didn't move to go back inside until there wasn't even a glimpse of them anymore.

**************

As Luke reentered the Hub, he was not entirely shocked to find Jack and Ianto standing with smug smiles.

"Say your goodbyes, Luke?" Jack questioned jokingly.

He smiled. Luke knew he had made the right decision. He had chosen his adventure and it was going to be brilliant.

To be continued . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

"So let's get you settled at your desk, Luke," Jack said, pointing toward an empty station in the middle of the main Hub area. "It's getting late, and I know you'll want to inspect everything at your new flat tonight."

"I've already set up your computer for you — with the proper security settings. But I'm sure you are quite familiar with how to set up your passwords and retinal scans. You'll need to do that before you can get in to explore the system and files," Ianto explained.

"My Ianto is pretty on top of things, isn't he?" Jack questioned with a wink Luke was sure was not for him. Luke knew that Ianto and Jack were lovers and that didn't bother him in the least. But he wasn't sure how to navigate the situation in the work place. Then again, he and Clyde had been investigating with Sarah Jane as a couple for over a year now. It didn't seem to get in the way.

"Thank you, Ianto. And Jack. I am sure I can get everything set up quickly," Luke said. "I'll just get to that now."

Jack smiled and said, "We'll save the grand tour for the morning. I'm actually on my way out. The Weevils have been fairly quiet recently, and I wanted to do a quick patrol tonight. Ianto here will show you how to lock up if you are ever here alone and I'll just see you two beefcakes in the morning. 8am sharp."

"Beefcakes, sir?" was Ianto's reply with a raised eyebrow. "Don't scare him off on the first evening." Luke laughed, unsure of what else to do, as Ianto continued. "But we'll finish up here. I'll tidy things a bit while Luke finishes the security measures, then we'll get home. I do want to make sure Luke is comfortable with his new accommodations."

Jack walked over to Luke and ruffled his hair. "See you later, kiddo. Don't let Ianto keep you up all night chattering away." Jack decided to forgo the hair ruffle on Ianto, choosing a rather passionate kiss instead. When it seemed things had gone on a little longer than was appropriate considering their audience, Ianto pulled away — breathless. Jack winked again and disappeared through the door to the lift.

"I'll be done in fifteen minutes," called Luke from his terminal, trying to catch Ianto's attention.

Ianto looked over at Luke with a smile. "Okay. Sorry about that. But, well, you sort of know how it is."

As Ianto walked away to start closing down for the night, Luke let his mind wander while unconsciously finishing his computer tasks. He was glad that he was here.

**************

The men arrived at Ianto's — and Luke's — flat about a half hour later. They managed to drag Luke's bags up the four stories, as the lift was broken in Ianto's less-than-new building. They were in good spirits though, having been joking about Gwen and Mickey and their adventures trying to keep up with Jack the past few years.

"So Gwen really quit for a whole week?" Luke asked.

"Well, when Jack told her she would have to take a leave of absence for her pregnancy, Gwen called him on it," Ianto explained. "But once Jack realized he would have to concede, he went crawling over to her place. Rhys was none too nice when he answered the door. I am not sure what he really expected her to do. But there are just some things Jack doesn't understand."

Then Ianto handed Luke a key and said, "Would you like to open the door to your new home?"

That earned an even bigger smile from Luke. Taking the key, he replied, "Yes!"

**************

After the grand tour of Ianto's two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, he left Luke alone for the evening, with instructions to raid the fridge if needed. They had actually forgotten to eat this evening, but Luke wasn't very hungry — he was still reeling from the new experiences.

"Guess I better get unpacked," he said aloud to himself. Remembering what his mum said about Ianto being particular about cleanliness, he carefully put away each article of clothing into the closet and chest provided for him. Next, his books lined the shelves on the far wall by the modest single window in the room. He meticulously placed his bathroom items on the shelf in his new bathroom, taking care to line everything the right way in order of height. He laughed silently as he placed the hair products Maria had made him buy. She said he was an adult now and needed to start acting as one — to impress Clyde at the very least. He hadn't tried them out yet, but figured he'd give them a go in the morning. If it didn't work out as planned, he bet Ianto could give him a few styling tips.

Once he'd put everything in its place, he opened the smaller bag. He pulled out his sturdy, refurbished laptop (yes, he'd built it himself) and a stack of four framed photos. The first was an old one — from nearly four years ago. Luke, Clyde, Maria, and Sarah Jane at the local skate park. He remembered Alan taking the photo. This was one of the first photos of their group together. Since then there had been many more that lined the walls of his home — his old home with Sarah Jane. The second photo was of him, Maria, and Clyde in their school graduation gowns taken only a few months ago. That was such a happy day. No doubt he could have finished his exams after his first day at school, but he would never leave Maria and Clyde alone. Not to mention it would cause some trouble for Sarah Jane to explain why her son wasn't in school — or able to pass his exams while appearing to be fourteen. Next was a photo Sarah Jane had given him two nights ago while he was packing. It was of the two of them in the garden. Maria had taken it while they were digging around in the flowers. Sarah Jane had a smudge of dirt on her face and Luke was trying to get it off. Only his hands were covered in dirt so he wasn't making much headway. Maria had a blown up and slightly cropped version of this on her nightstand at Uni. Sarah Jane didn't know that, though. The final photo Luke placed on his night stand. Another one of Maria's shots. It was of him and Clyde on the swing after their last visit from the Slitheen. It had been a pretty close call that time, but they had made it out okay. Sarah Jane had gone inside to rest — she had run quite a bit that night and Luke wondered if she wasn't getting a bit old for all of this — and Maria was supposed to be on her way home. The boys practically collapsed on the swing, exhausted. It took them a few minutes to realize their hands were resting on top of one another. At the exact moment Maria's camera flashed them, they were staring into one another's eyes, the realization of what the other felt finally hitting home.

Suddenly, something started to vibrate in Luke's pants. Momentarily stunned, Luke stared at his bedroom door, embarrassed. Then he remembered. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket to find he had not one, but three missed text messages.

"Maria — 8:35pm — Well? How're things so far? Text me!"

"Mum — 8:58pm — Why haven't you called yet? It is getting late. Call me. Soon."

"Clyde — 9:13pm — Out fighting aliens already? I miss you."

Deciding to capitalize on his freedom from Maria and his mum, Luke hit 'Reply' to the last message.

To be continued . . . .


End file.
